tritc: GARDEN Ev»n <» the farm or -in tha large Tillage garden ene can put In the vagetables .and flowers withoat a plan, *nt such a proceeding is not reoonmeiMted. A rough sketch on paper will save tim%, space and re- To hasten growth give the lawn an ai^llcatioa' of nitratis of Soda, about an ounoe, daring ' a rain fall^ or it may be dissolved at the rate of one ounce per gallon in water and applied with the ordinary watering can. If at all possible, g«t a heavy roller â- alt In a Job you vrill not be ashamed over the lawn as soon as frost goea ttf" have your friends look over when out. This firms up the top and packs the stuff starts coming through the ; the earth around the roots, which the mwB. Many a carrot has been eaten • heaving following the alternate f reez- before its time because the gardener 1 ing and thawing has loosened, responsible was afraid someone would i â- ee the crooked rowa. A little plan' nlng and a stake and string would bave prevented this tragedy. Even where one is crowded it is surpris- ing the amount of stuff which can be grown in a small space. The av- erage yard in the village and a plot 60 by lOO feet on the farm, with a fence around it to keep out the chick- ens, will keep the table going in the matter of vegetables from early sum- mer until fall with a few liushels for winter storag^e. Where horse culti- vation is to be used all rows 80 inches apart, except in the case of spread- ing vegetables such as tomatoes, co- cumbers and similar plants, which should have three to four feet. Early maturing stuff, such as spinach, let- tuce and radishes, can be placed in between the regular rows, as they MAKINQ A HOT-BED. The man Iwith^a hot-bed has the edge on his 't|iei^bor. He can get his garden started from two weeks to a month earlier than usual, and his crops come on that much sooner also. Lettuce and radish may be grown here and be ready for the table by the first of April and tomatoes and cabbage given an early start, eo that they will he giving table returns !»• July instead of August Those excel- lent annuals, Cosmos, Zinnias, Pe- tunias and a host of others that will not only stand transplanting but are actually benefited by it will be ready to go into the open garden almost half grown by the end of May. The construction of a hot-bed is a simple matter. Locate facing the south, with a protecting building, hedge or QUEBEC CARNIVAL QUEEN Miss Clarida Moreau, of Quebec City, who was chosen Queen of the carni- val week which began February 21, the opening event being the first race In the three-day Eastern IntemWlonal Dog Derby. Miss Moreau presided over will be ready and gone long before â- '«"<=« o" ^^^ "o^h side and the West the main crop requires all the space. | also, if this is possible. F^ebh horse Where space and sunlight are limit- 1 manure is usually used to generate , events 'of the week of festivity In which the entire city joined as a »A run thn rnWH nnrth and nouth ' neat for the hot-bed. Thl9 should . _ . „ ea run ine rows nortn ana *»'"'">,â- .,, , _ <â- „<. 4.„„j . .„ .„j ariLTKl PinsLl« tn tha Winter Soorta season. and they will not be shaded as much j o® P''ed in a flat-topped heap and as if run the other way. Stake and . watered lightly to start f ermenta- tle up cucumbers, tomatoes and pole ^ion. When the pile starts to steam beans. This will mean a little ; fork it over, and a day or two later, trouble, but earlier and cleaner crops j P'l® "^ on the site of the hot-bed. will result. To relieve the green One can dig out a shallow pit or monotony of the vegetable garden 'build up the manure pile above j plant a few flowers in the corners I ground with a frame around it Make and at the head of the rows, have the sure that there is good drainage, then' regular flower garden for cutting I Pil« "P y<"j'^ manure to a depth of purposes located here and grow your i at least 18 inches, when well tramped sweet peas along one of the regular down, and about a foot more each rows. way than the size of the window frame used to cover it. The usual CAKE OP THE LA^TK. After this more or less open win- 1 Lâ„¢*=*:^^"'^>J° .'L"^ J* ''°°'^*" '''!â„¢' the size of the window and place this on top of the manure. Then add a ter tTa4 lawn will require a little ex- tra care first thing in the spring. . , , , ,„ ., â- .. , After the frost comes out it is advis- ! ^^""'"'^ ^^" **^ ^^ '*"' ''J^^ "^""^ * thermometer in and cover the frame the able to freshen up the bare spots .^, . , . . ... with good seed, raking this in lightly : ^^^^^ a window sash, in which or sowing it on a late fall of snow'f*"^ ^*^ f""^,'y; The frame should which, when melting, will carry the>,.^«„T**r'*^ !^' ^.^^V'm.^^T" seed down into the soil. It is best ^ ^>"^* *° }'^^ ^'^"'^ ^Jl'l^ ^ill allow to sow in early morning, or evening, i^*^ *" ''^^"^ '"*'^ sunlight and also when there is no wind. If practic- ; shed rain. The temperature will rise able, cover the freshly" seeded spots ! I^^'^'^'y ^<»' ^^^ ^^ ^^^ •^^y- *^«"» with a bit of chicken wire or trellis- !«»1 down, when the seeds may be work to scare away the sparrows. planted. ALFALFA HAY AND ALFAIf A MEAL BY L. STEVENSON, O.A.C. The practice of grinding hay, com- etover and other coarse feeds for live stock is carried on to a limited extent, and the enquiry comes is the practice worth the cost. Some feeders say it is, some say it is not In a recent experiment the digest- ibility and net energy values of al- falfa hay chopped to one inch lengths and of alfalfa meal were compared in a series of digestion and metabolism feeding tests with cattle. The hay and meal were given alternately dur- ing six periods and comparisons were made. Each feeding period luted 21 days and the results of the experi- ment were tabulated in detail. They show that the alfalfa hay was slight- ly better digested than the alfalfa meal, probably due to a suppression eif rumination from the alfalfa meal â- wallowed, at least in part beyond the paunch, - The difference was 2.2 per cent, of the dry matter. From the foregoing experiment we learn that there is little likelihood of Increasing the digestibility of a good grade of alfalfa hay or other fodder of equal coarseness, when fed to ruminants or- cud-chewing animals, by any grinding process. Grinding coarse fodders may have advantages In that coarse materials are reduced to a condition that permits a thor- ough mixing therewith finely divided grains, or sweeteners. A ruminant animal can eat more ground 'fteed in a limited time, it may be forced to ewt feeds that are off flavor when fed â- lone, or caused to eat feeds that are hard to masticate, but in so far as good quality feeds are concerned there ia nothing grained by grinding &r well grown cattle. For pigs, chickens or calves it may be different and some advantage is derived by the use of finely divided feeds for these three classes. But this advantage in making the feed more acceptable is not always offset by any showing of profit over the cost of grinding. If the stockman's labor ia not fully em- ployed, and he can get power cheaply, it may be worth while to grind the coarse feed, but no one need look to any material increase in value in so far as digestibility la concerned. Chief Causes of Pigs Not Grading Selects. When pigs of the right type do not grade "select" the cause may be one of ^e following: 1. Overweight â€" Overweight at the market. Fed too long, possibly wait- ing for a rising market. Feeder loses out because the pigs sell for $1 per cwt. less and do not make as econ- omical gains as are made under 200 pounds. 2. Heavy Feeding Just After Weaning â€" Pigs pushed on heavy fat- tening feeds, such as barley, buck- Wheat and corn too soon after wean- ing. Pigs must be grovm on protein grown feeds and finished later. 3. Poor Feedingâ€" Pigs starved or stunted in early life or held until old, coarse, and rough before they are up to market weight â€" generally soft in c^caas and coarse in texture CLIMBERS THAT L UKE BY WABREN WILMER BROWN. :H thrust Into the gpx)und sidewise and covered with about an inch of soil, which should be light and rich. To get strong plants ready for the open grounds during the first warm June days I plant them in my sun parlor any time in March, usually placing a pane of window glass over the seed box. Germination is virtual- While I was preparing my garden ly iqq ^^ cent If the seed is plant- for its long winter vacation â€" the ; ed properly, work was started late in September xhey demand plenty of moisture and ended with the planting of sev- and after they are transplanted to oral thousand tulipa juet before Oc- individual pots light stakes are nee tober frosts sent waves of unimagin- essary to keep them from sprawling ably lovely color over our Maryland aH over the place. Their final quar forestsâ€" while this task was under ; tg^s are the sunniest spots of the way I came across a solitary cobea j garden. seedling. There are a number of other an How in the world it ever happened ] nu^i climbers for which I have a to have started its career so late in ; marked preference because of their the season I could not tell, but there decorative and airy effect in back- it was all by itself and, though but a i p-ound positions such as the moon few inches high, it was as healthy a flower, the cardinal climber, the 'little plant as you would want to see So I decided upon an experiment. I dug it up with a good-sized ball of earth, taking care not to cut the tin- ieet rootlet, put it in an eight-inch pot and took it indoors. It was placed in the sun parlor, which lias an eastern and southern exposure, in n position where it could get all the sun possible and after that it was given exactly the same at- tention as my other house plants. It got along beautifully from the very first and, while nothing like so rapid nor so robust in its growth as thoso raised outside, it was soon spreading its delicate tendrils in all canary-bird vine with its odd flowers, like miniature yellow orchide, the scarlet runner and the climbing nasturtium. Prince Edwai'd Island, 288 eggs directions and showed signs of want- won by Barred Plymouth Boclc Egg Lajins Trials. The highest records at the various Canadian egg-layin(g trials axe as follows : Canadian National, 332 eggs, won by White Leghorn. Vancouver I.sland, 32'i' eggs, won by White Leghcin. Dominion, 291 eggs, won by Barred Plymouth Rock. ing to take possession of the wall against which it was planted. Know- iiHV '!":»t this vine likes even heat I liini ,. -siting rather eagerly to see whit it will do in the way of bloom, for the room that contains it is afflict- ed with terrific temperature ups and downs. THD BEIAUTIFUL COBAEA. The cobsea (cobsea scandens) to me is the most desirable of all annual Saskatchewan, 287 eggs, won by Barred Plymouth Rock, Ontario, 284 eggs, tie, White Leg- horn and Barred Plymouth Rock, each laying 284. New Brunswick, 281 eggs, won by Barred Plymouth Rock. Nova Scotia, 2Q0 eggs, won by' White Leghorn In eleven egg-laying trials. held In Canada during 1925 there, were 3,930 ,, , ,,„... J ..ihens, and their average was 189 eggs climbers. Outdoors in my garden it^^^j^^ ,5,^^^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^ J^^ makes a growth of lo or 20 feet a ^.^^ ^^ ^^^^ j^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^^_ season and during the latter part of, r:â„¢,„„i„- ^„„„^f..ifi„„a „,â„¢ .^, covered with its 1 Egg-laying competitions give the the summer it is c«ver«u wiuii.^,b seeder an accurate line on what his strange and beautiful blossoms. These I ^ck will do in egg production. The resemble, somewhat, m shape the' "cup and saucer" campanula, their odd characteristic bein^ that they come out apple-green Snd gradually change to deep blue. There is also a white variety (alba). ' ' â- The cobasa is rather exacting in its requii>ements; particularly must they be met in the method of planting seed. They object to being put to bed, as It were, on the flats of their 4. Under Finishâ€" Figs not finished i backs, a fact it took me several years to learn. What they crave is to be to the desired 1^ inchea of fat down the back, generally throui^h lack of feed or a mistaken idea of what tbr> finished bacon hog really is. Extract from Ont. Dept, of Agri- culture Bulletin 320, now ready for general distribution through Dept. of Agriculture, Toronto. Send there for your copy. Measure a Farm by its Pasturage. The best farming systems give a prominent place to pas- ture crops. Without an abund- ant supply of pasturage, the economical production of live- stock on any large scale is sel- dom possible. Pasture and hay grasses are important also be- cause they protect and hold and enrich the soil. A Cana- dian farmer travelling about his own country feels almost from instinct when he enters a sectia*,, of abundant and pro- ductive pastures that he has found a good fai-ming section ; and he is usually right about it. * Freckles constitute many a son'i Eggs and More Eggs. The requirements for high egg production are clean, dry, comfort- able houses, that are free from di- rect draughts over 4he birds, and that are well lighted. The feeding consists of a variety of grains, green feed, animal feed, grit and shell, which is clean, sweet and wholesome, and is given to the birds regularly and in such quantities that they have all they want to eat before going to roost at night; th&t the supply of drinking material is clean and abun- dantf that the attendant is regular in his or her work and is inlomstod in the same; that the birds are bred from grood laying ancestors, and that they are hatched at the proper sea- son and well reared, and are free from disease. _-0 Stpfansson, the explorer says that in the course of almost tweU-e j'ears spent in the Arctic regions, his diet was 100 per cent meat the greater part oi Um tioM^ real producers are singled out and used in the breeding pen for the propagation of a select race of egg. coumY Up to die Women's Institutes. *^t the steady exodus to the city is stitute. "Twenty years ago whea <nuf to be stopped, It will be up to the mentioned the work of the loMtS^ites, Institutes to do it," said Mrs. Wood it was answered, "Oh, yes, I3u4 is of Brockville, emphasizing some of where the women meet to exchange the fine work in education, immigra- recipes." "That still held good," Mr. tion, health, and home economics at Putnam said, "though the Institutes the Ottawa Women's Institutes Con- of to-day have broadened tato the vention held last November. | most valuable channel through which An attempt to preserve the history i Government IDepartments pour « of each county is to be made under stream of service t>o all the people.; the pK>g«im of the Historical Re- 1 They co-operate with the Mothers search Committee through interviews | Allowance Board hospitals, the care with aged people and the preservation , "^ /®Kle<=ted children, the Dominion of relics and antiques and the encour- and P"^.^'""*?, Immigration Depart- antiques agement of County Museums. A de- lightful visit to the Dominion Arch- menta, the Child Welfare and Health __ Depvartments, as well as local and i^^stimuTated this "r^oive" among I ^'"".'"i'"''^ '?^^,'- J^'L'L i"A*",*'..^?; the delegates. ..â- •-. Boosting the farm income and the means farm women were taking to do tended even to the international child when at a delightful luncheon at the Chateau Laurler, the delegates listen- ed to Miss Charlotte Whitton tell it was dealt ,^th by MrS. ?. AltkenK^ ^j ^^ ^^^ heritages of Beeton. Poultry raising, fwi^lof^the war* the varftus counties of growing, turkey pooja, tea, rooms, tha ^y^ ^^d now placed chief importance right kind, of -tourlrt accommodation were some of the ways in which this was being done. One delicate young girl turned to turkey raising as a means of creating an income from out-of-door work. So successful were her efforts that her birds were this year rated highest in those sent to American markets. .Another young Business -College teacher' opened a on child welfare "The question of social and child welfare has been lift, •ed out of any spasmodic sphere up to a key department of the state's life," she said, "and the nations perceive it as one of the greatest economio considerations apart from the moral side." Italy and Poland, she learned this year at Geneva, realizing the evils of alcohol on child life, are eeek- small school in her living room where, j^^^ legislation to decrease .the traffic. she taught the farm young peopli typewriting, shorthand and business method, thus helping both herself and the boys and girls. The Girls' Institutes told of how rest rooms, hospitals, and school boards as well as needy mothers and' children had peceiyed active and prac- tical aid during the year. Not only had they a dentist's talk for them- selves on the care of tha teeth at Delta Junior Branch but arranged with the school board for a dental In- spection of the school children. These girls entertained the grandmothers, encouraging their ancestors by giv- ing a prize to the youngest and an- other to the one vdth the most grand- children. Although a most successful Girls' Conference just concluded at Kempt- ville lessened the girl delegates' num- bers, the Seniors felt the time devoted to their interests amply justified by the fresh youthful point of view they brought to the Convention. This was again touched on by Miss Emily Guest in a talk on "Backward, Around, Forward in Nation-building" when down through the generations was traced the part played loyally by women in building up this country. "We were happier then," said the old people, "when we were all the same In the woods and all helped each other, in self-contained homes where we grew and the women manufactur- ed tlia clothing as well as did the housekeeping." Then came the era of brick and stone structures and the growth of towns, and the homemakers Realized that the whole community had become the home and had to be made safe for the family. To the girls of to-day, the women will hand on the trust for the future, girls whose youns heads, hearts and hands were, being ti-aiued for this responsibility thi-ough the Institutes. Th9, value of practical experience to the Individual and the fact that the Institute is flrsfe and' foremost, an educational institution was neyer lost sight of and- was specially stress- ed by, the Supennbendent when urg- ing that the grrt^nd young women of the community be given some re- sponsibilities in the work of the In- A further study of Canada's place In the League of Nations came when Mr. Norman MacKenzie, Professor of Intei'national Law in Toronto UnI-< versity, ga\'e an informative talk.' Women, who were still bearing the burdens of a war which destroyed thousands of sons and mothers, had pleaded: "I did not raise my son to be a soldier, to kill some other moth- er's darling boy," and laid a burden, of debt upon the people that consum- ed half the revenue. "In thinking internationally," he told his audience, "three questions forced themselvea upon us. These were population, raw resources, rates. Italy and Japan claim they have not room for their people and ask if Canada has the right to spread over half a continent. Canada's raw resources are practic- ally untapped. Europe wants to pool the resources of the world. The race question of the mixing of the white, yellow and black races is one we must face sooner or later. Such problems can only be solved by thinking inter- nationally." A very high note of idealism in .service was also struck by President Mrs. Field Robertson and the Conven- tion went on record as condemning the narcotic evil and asking the De- partment of Education to distribute literature and give regular instruction as to its evils in curricnlums of schools and colleges. Equal franchise with farmers' sons in municipal elections was also asked for farmers' daughters, a stricter ob- servance of the Lord's Day, system- atic training in vocal music lor coui>-, try schools, and legislation for the further care of the feeble-minded were some of the other things asked for by the Convention. The consideration of improved agri- culture reached its climax in the hum- orous and pithy address of Mr. El- ford of. the Ottawa Experimental Farm who explained the whole vrork- Ing of these fbnns and the espcrt service that might be.had just for th« asking, while he paid.' a watm tribute, as . did the whole Convention, to ths work of the Superintendent, Mr. Put- nam, in his administration of the De- j)nrtmi'i\tal wrvices fi-om Toronto. S*ye the, Lambs.-; ''â- '} Every i-easonable effort should be made to save the 1 ami} crpp. . Huch and wiy-consuH» mucli"*m«>re water. Lack Of it wiir retard the milk flow. If the lambs come before the ewes have- been sheared, any loose tags ^_.^_^ .. ._ ^^ tfoiible and loss , can be avoided by , aj.t,n.n(j the udder or flanks should be producers. There Is no one bTstI •^^^''^K'*^'* ^^^** '" P''°'P*'' '^""'''"°?- clipped ofl'. The lambs seem to crave breed or variety for egg production! Laying ability lies more in the strain or family than in the breed. '> While modern poultry-keepers know how to 'gel more eggs from their hens, these eggs havo thinner shells than those laid under more natural circumstances. If .the lambs come on grass usually this wooir It forms wool'balls'in the very little special, attention, is requir- gtomach which are-iilmlwt certain to 'ed. ff, however, they are lambed in be fatal.'' . - the sheepfold prior to turning out,] Xt from two to four, weeks of age the ewes should be watched closely the lambs ehould be docked, and the until each lamb . has nursed, . after] male lambs not selected for breeding which very little individual attention should be castrated. The docking can perhaps be best performed by tha lise-of a hot doikirtg piheher. Lambs docked and castrated do better, pre- sent a better appearance and sell for G.- shquld be required. It Is very essen- tial that an- attendant be on watch for lambs which are bom during the night. A few small portable pens about â- more money.â€" ^H. L, 4x4 feet should be provided to iso- late each ewe with her lamb for thirty-six to forty-eight hours after lambing, especially If they come dur- ing the cold spell or in case for any reason the ewe fails to own her lamb promptly. Light panels provided - with hooks and ©yes can l)e hooked together and placed along the wall as needed. After the lambs begin to come, spe- cial attention should be given to bed- ding the pens, clean dry beds being provided at all time. No considerable depth of manure should be allowed to accumulate underneath the bed, as What We Use on the Farm. To obtain information r«'lBt:ng to the value of products wliich are fur- nished by the' farm to the farm fam- 'ily a careful invcstii:iitton was made on .'18 farms in one coiiiity. The items included dairy and poultry produce, â- meats, flour, vogetablee, f ruits; â- fuel and house rent. The farm value of these products aver* j aged $578.5!) per farm. The city value of the same products, that is^ ,, , ,. 1 J ,^1 if purchased on the city market for, the ammonia fumes generated there- ,' , »i .wv<i*- tu.,... n- .,; ^ , , , • the home, was $1,2tK!.!)i. Thest ngs. m will cause sore eyes and i-etard ., :,',. , . __ , "v ,, , , I » ,1 1 1 ures provide a sidehght On how much i the develonmont of the lambs. '.. . . ,• • ., .. .v j ' I more it coats to live i:-, the ci!y than I The crtHip should be provided, â- „„ ^ f^^m. The investigation also, ,where the lanihB may hnvo access to ; ..pvealed the fact that some farms. THOUSANDS WELCOME WHITE EMPRESS Over 10,000 people lined the coast at Vancouver to welcome the Cana- dian Pacific Empress of Canada, flagship ot the Pacific lleet, when she steam- ed Into her home port from the Orient recently, glistening in her new garb ot white paint. She was escorted by several Canadian Government seoplanes. The decision of tlie Canadian Pacitlc to nmUo tbelr sntiro Taclflc fleet white has met with approval in the shipping world and also by passengers, with whom these giant trans-Paclflc liners are popular. They will be known as the "WHilte Empressee ot the Pacific, " and uiake a beautiful picture steam- ing throu^ iho blue waters of the Paciflo. a grain mixture and hay which can- not be reached by the ewes, Kqual parts of cracked corn, crushed oats garden and bran constitute a good mixture for this purpose. It is surprising how much faster the lambs will develop when this plan is adopted. A good supply of fresh water should be available at all times. This wore purchasing at city prices what, tlicy should bo producing in tho homo. A thrifty farm family, making full use of 't.-i opportunities on the land, can keep tlit- home going with lu.xuries that people living In, town on moderate incomes seldom see. Wo often neglect to credit the farm for what it does, and soma is especially important after the ; people on the land fail to take full lambs begin to come, as the ewes are measure of the opiwrtunitles that the in a more or loss fevered conditioa ' land uu which tlie live offan Wwdi.